Teardrops & Coffee
by ForeverDreamer12
Summary: Sting Eucliffe finally made it into the best collage in Fiore: Magnolia University. After being bullied for his sexuality for the four years of High School, he's ready for a fresh start. Already things get underway when he bumps into an attractive dark-haired journalist in the dorm elevator. ((Stingue, minor Gratsu and a few other ships. Rating may change. Full summary inside))
1. The Hot Guy in the Elevator

**Full Summary: Sting Eucliffe finally made it into the best collage in Fiore: Magnolia University. After being bullied for his sexuality for the four years of High School, he's ready for a fresh start. Already things get underway when he bumps into an attractive dark-haired journalist in the dorm elevator. Sting should be elated and yet...there's a little something holding him back. And that little something is his own awkwardness. Determined to win over the other boy's heart, Sting makes his best effort to keep his cool...but it's extremely hard when the guy you're trying to flirt with is as smooth as can be...or is he?**

 **Finally got my act together and decided to post this :P I have a few chapters pre-written, but I'll still stagger them a bit. I hope you enjoy~**

* * *

Sting Eucliffe, 18 years old, approaches the dorm building at Magnolia University. His heart is pounding in his chest, a mile a minute. He honestly had no clue what to expect, but good lord was he glad to be out of high school. There he was bullied endlessly for being gay, both with words and with fists. He could almost still feel their rough hands slapping him across the face, shoving him to the floor of the locker rooms... And the worst part was, no one had cared. Sting's mother passed away when he was little, barely even 4 years old, and his father was a businessman who was never home. Sting had gotten used to being quiet about these sorts of things, having no one to really vent to anyways. Here he hoped he could make a fresh start. Find a job, pass his classes, make some friends... Anything really. Anything but a scenario like high school all over again.

Pushing open the doors to the dorm, he finds himself glancing all around him. Key in hand, he moves towards the elevator. His room is 707, which means he's staying on the seventh floor. The elevator doors slide open, revealing two boys dressed in sport gear. The black-haired boy is in swim clothes, while the pink-haired boy is wearing a soccer jersey. Bickering and calling each other names like 'Ice Ass' and 'Lava Shitface', the duo walk right past Sting and towards the outside. Sting can't help but to smile, liking them already. They seemed like a fun pair.

After a few stops on other floors to let people in and out, including a man with many piercings and a white-haired man in a swimsuit. Finally Sting reaches floor 7, exhaling in relief. In his daze, he nearly crashes into a boy around his age wearing a brown shirt and a gray scarf. "Oh my god, I'm so s-" Sting freezes mid-sentence. The boy looks towards him, revealing a pair of stunningly red eyes behind black glasses. His bangs are swept to his right side, almost covering that eye. His black hair is back in a ponytail, giving Sting a better view of the boy's sharp jaw.

"No, it was my fault," the boy replies softly, his voice dark and mysterious. It sends shivers down Sting's spine, making him feel a bit weak in the knees. "I was too busy thinking about my journalism report..." He sighs slightly, his hands sliding into his jeans pockets as he looks down at the boots on his feet. "Tough job, I tell you."

Still speechless, Sting simply nods. Holy **shit** was this guy attractive. _'Don't fuck this up,'_ Sting tells himself. Clearing his throat, he replies with, "Uh, yeah, I bet it is. I mean, I wouldn't really know, I'm a computer science major... Heheh..." Sting mentally curses himself for sounding like a moron in front of this literal god.

To Sting's surprise, the boy chuckles. "I don't expect you to understand. However, computers sound difficult as well. I have enough trouble with my own as it is..." He then pauses as the elevator door closes. "Um...is this your floor?"

"Oh shit!" Sting exclaims, slamming the button to open the door again. As it slides open, he looks over his shoulder at the boy. "Thanks so much, I zoned."

A small smile spreads across the boy's stone-cut features. "You're welcome. It was nice to meet you."

Before Sting can ask his name, the door slides shut in his face. Sting lets a tiny sigh escape his lips, not believing the events that had just happened. He was on the same floor as the hottest, cutest guy he'd ever met in his life. And he was a journalist. So nerdy...just like Sting. If only he knew his name...and if he was available...and if he's even into guys...

Shoving all of these thoughts out of his head, Sting moves towards his room to get everything organized. He had a long day ahead of him.

* * *

Sting hated it when he had too much on his mind. The jitters left over from the rest of the day, as well as the anticipation of starting college were making his stomach churn uncontrollably. Deciding that it would be a good idea to go get something to eat, Sting exits his room and walks down the hall to the kitchen area on his floor. Dressed in a pair of white pajama pants and a pair of fluffy blue slippers, he shuffles towards the fridge. Having brought his phone with him just in case, the screen suddenly lights up. Sting is all the way across the country from his father, so it doesn't surprise him to be getting a text at 2am.

Unlocking his phone to read the text, Sting finds that it's from his father:

 _Sting, my dear boy, I am so proud of you and making your way all the way to Magnolia, the best college in the country. I know you'll continue to make me proud just like you always have. I hope this fresh start makes you happy as you advance to the next step in your life. I love you. Daddy Weiss~_

Sting suddenly begins to feel a bit lightheaded. Homesickness washes over him like a storm, curling up inside of his stomach. His lip trembles slightly, and he bites down on his tongue. His phone screen begins to blur as tears prick the corners of his eyes. Even though he hated his life back at home, he loved his dad dearly. When he was home, the two of them would mess around with technology, play sports and cards, and fix up the house. Not only that, his father was a dynamite cook, something that Sting could never master. He was going to be living off of Cup of Noodles for the next few months. But overall, his father was a kind and caring man who accepted Sting for who he was without even a moment's hesitation. His reaction to his son's coming out was, "Ah, well, you've never been straight to the point, have you?", to which Sting had laughed for a full five minutes.

This memory causes the tears welling up in his eyes to fall, creating wet trails on his cheeks. Unable to control himself, sobs escape from between his lips as he falls to his knees on the kitchen tile. His phone drops from his hand, clattering to the floor. Burying his face in his hands, he tries to control himself.

The sound of a door opening down the hall gets his attention. Peeking through the gaps in his fingers, he sees a shadowy figure in a loose black shirt approaching the kitchen area. Holding up his cell phone, he shines its' flashlight down on Sting's face. "Oh," a familiar, soft voice says. "It's you."

Trying to blink away his tears, Sting squints upward at the boy, trying to see through the light. He lowers the phone a bit so Sting can properly see, revealing their identity as the boy from the elevator. And not just any boy from the elevator...the cute one. Once again, Sting freezes up. He can't believe his horrible luck. Why does it have to be the hot guy who finds him as a blubbering mess on the communal kitchen floor at 2am?

"I heard a banging sound," the boy continues softly. "I'm in Room 701, so I hear pretty much everything that happens in here..." He squats down on the floor next to Sting, his dark bangs falling in front of his face. "What's wrong? Are you worried about college? Trust me, it's not as bad as it sounds... I've already been here for a year."

Sting shakes his head, furiously wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Sorry for waking you up," he croaks. "And that's not the problem... I just...just..." He trails off, too embarrassed to admit that he's sobbing from homesickness.

"There's no need to apologize." The boy's voice is surprisingly smooth. "I was already awake... I've been working on my report..." He yawns slightly, making Sting's heart skip a beat. "Oh...I just realized how rude I've been. My name's Rogue, by the way. I'm 18... I got into collage a year early because I skipped a grade."

"I-I'm Sting," the blond replies, sniffing. "Nice to m-meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well," Rogue smiles. He reaches out a hand towards Sting. "C'mon. That floor's really dirty. Let's get ourselves some coffee. Then you can come back to my dorm for a little while if you'd like, since you're having a rough first night."

Sting feels his cheeks turn slightly pink. The offer was innocent, but his mind wandered naturally before he could stop it. Before he could change his mind, he was nodding vigorously and taking Rogue's hand. Rogue pulls him to his feet, then proceeds to make some coffee for them. The moments of waiting were perfectly silent. Sting simply bit down on his lip, trying not to cry again. Everything was just so...odd. He was standing here, completely shirtless in a communal kitchen at a collage while a hot 'stranger' made him coffee. Not only that, it was 2am. And the lights in the kitchen barely worked.

After what felt like hours, Rogue takes Sting by the hand again and leads him to Room 701. Rogue pushes upon the door, having left his door unlocked. Artwork, inspirational quotes, and newspaper articles cover the walls on half of the room. The other half is covered with heavy metal posters and strange iron sculptures. "Oh, that's my older brother's stuff," Rogue explains. "He's kind of rude sometimes, so don't mind him if he shows up at some point... He's out with his girlfriend for tonight, but who knows with him. He's not much of a stick-to-the-plan kind of guy."

Sting nods, still completely silent. Rogue sits down on his bed, and Sting takes the gray beanbag. He sips the hot coffee in his hands, feeling the warmth flood down his throat and into his chest. He takes deep breaths, trying to completely work away the feeling of anxiety.

"Are you willing to talk?" Rogue finally asks, picking up his glasses that are on his bedside table and beginning to clean them. "If not, I understand..."

"I'm just homesick," Sting admits hesitantly, looking down at his coffee cup. "A-Although I suppose I'm a little scared I'm going to be judged for quite a few things...m-mainly my...my..." He stops for a moment, his heart pounding. "My sexuality."

To his surprise, a wide smile spreads across Rogue's face. "You're in luck," he says, "as there's a lot of queer people at his school, including me." Pleasantly surprised by this fact, Sting chokes on his coffee. Rogue's eyes widen, dropping his glasses onto his bed. He leaps to his feet, swiftly moving over towards the blond. "You okay?!" he asks worriedly, placing a hand on Sting's shoulder.

Sting nods, finally getting the liquid down. "Phew. Yeah, sorry. That's just great news...my last school was judgmental hell."

"As was mine," Rogue replies softly. He runs his fingers through his thick hair. "Although I suppose that's just the way high school is..." Turning back towards Sting, he smiles and says, "But that's in the past now... Now we're someplace better."

Finally, Sting's face erupts into a huge, toothy grin. "Damn right!" To his elation (and shock), Rogue's cheeks turn slightly pink. He turns away in an almost shy manner, moving back towards his bed. Sting takes a deep breath, working up his courage as he says, "Look, I know we just met, but I really like you and I'd love to get to know you better... Do you think we could meet up at some point for a meal or something?" Rogue freezes. Sting feels his face turn red, embarrassed that once again, he was getting ahead of himself. "Uh I-I mean, if you'd like to, you don't have to-"

Rogue finally turns around, his glasses back on his face as a warm smile spreads across his lips. "There," he says softly. "I can see you better now." He looks down at his feet shyly, then finally says, "And I accept your offer. Maybe...lunch tomorrow? I know a good deli that's right across the street from the Preforming Arts building."

Not believing his ears, Sting eagerly leaps to his feet. "Really?!" In his excitement, he spills his coffee all over his bare chest. Yelping from pain, as the coffee was quite hot, Sting finds himself with tears in his eyes again. He couldn't _believe_ how wimpy he was being. It must because of the time. Rogue bolts into the bathroom as fast as lightning, then rushes out with a damp washcloth. He quickly wipes the hot liquid from Sting's chest, not even fazed by the lack of a shirt. Finally able to breathe normally, Sting manages a 'thank you'.

"Of course," Rogue chuckles. "A little clumsy, are we?"

"More than a little," Sting mumbles in reply, an amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He pauses for a moment, then turns to look at Rogue. "Hey." Rogue looks Sting deep in the eyes, a little surprised. "Thanks for all of this. I needed someone to talk to... When I told myself I'd be okay alone...that was a lie. I'm glad I met you, honestly."

"Me too," Rogue replies, looking at him straight on. He takes a step closer, placing both hands on the other boy's shoulders. "I can't wait to get to know you better. I'm already looking forward to it."

"Heh, so am I," Sting blushes, looking away from the other boy's vibrant ruby eyes. Shifting nervously, he finally manages out, "Oh, uh, I should probably head back to my own room..."

Rogue nods in understanding. "Probably a good idea. You don't want to be tired for tomorrow." He smiles again, his whole face lighting up. "Goodnight, Sting."

Sting grins back at him, suddenly feeling confident. "Goodnight, Roguie~" Rogue's entire face turns red. Sting holds back laughter as he heads out the door, empty coffee cup in his hands. By the time he lies down in his own bed, he's exhausted. The smile never left his face. With the way his heart was beating, he knew that this wasn't going to a friendship for very long, if at all. This had been a hectic day, that was for sure, but at least he'd met someone as wonderful as Rogue.


	2. Well I Fucked Up Again

**Thank you for the reviews, you guys~! I'm glad you found it cute :D I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations~**

* * *

"The code is #A3D," the teacher drones on. "So in order to make it activate, you must click a series of keys in a certain order: in this case, Alt, Ctrl, Enter, Shift-"  
Sting slumps down in his seat, trying to hide behind his monitor. Sure, this was the first day of class, but it was getting boring real fast. He'd learned all of this in High School, around Junior year. And they called this a college course...

Groaning, he slowly pulls up an internet browser. He decides to research journalism and creative writing, simply because he wanted to be able to hold a steady conversation with Rogue at lunch today. Since computer programming was extremely confusing, Sting figured that wouldn't really be the greatest conversation topic. Scrolling through links, his brow furrows. He didn't understand any of this. Character developmental processes? Research and analysis styles? It sounded vaguely familiar to things he'd learned in English class, but he'd never really paid any attention. English wasn't his forte: he was much better with math and science. Coding had become his expertise, the one and only thing that he almost always knew what to do. He himself had created webpages, online games, and animations.

"Eucliffe?" the professor's voice rings from the front of the room. "Are you paying attention?"

Trying to hide the fact that he was guilty as hell, Sting calmly replies, "Of course, sir."

"What did I just say?" the professor sighs.

Now, right here was where Sting could get mouthy. He was so tempted to reply with 'you asked me if I was paying attention', but that probably wouldn't go over well. Missing his lunch with Rogue was definitely not on his agenda today. So instead, he glances at the projection at the front of the class and says, "After copying and pasting the code, you need to link it to the others around it using-"

"That's ahead of where we are," the professor sounds both irritated and impressed. "You know what you're doing, I'll give you that. However, that is no reason to not be paying attention. It's always good to go over your skills and refresh, especially after a long summer."

"Yes, sir," Sting sighs, closing his extra window and quickly catching up to the class. He ends up passing the professor, creating the needed code. Sting reaches for the coffee sitting on the table. It was cold and bitter, not at all appetizing. In that moment, Sting longs for the dark, rich coffee Rogue had made him the night before. He looks at the monitor beside him, watching as the blonde with strange spiky headphones plays a game on the computer. His fingers move lightning fast as his character jumps and flips.

"What game is that?" Sting whispers, completely surprised that this guy was able to hide this, especially since he was tall and wearing headphones.

The man grunts. "Somethin' I made myself. Now leave me alone, kid. I don't associate with Freshman."

Miffed by how rude this guy was, Sting turned away. "Fine. Jeez. What an ass."

He takes another sip of the bitter coffee, holding back a cough. God, was he dehydrated. Not only that, he had a headache. The room was much too dark for this. Sting wished he was able to use his laptop instead of this clunky school desk computer.

 _ **BE-BOO-DE-BOO. BE-BOO-DE-BOO.**_

Sting breathes a sigh of relief at the sound of the tri-tone bell, saving his project and putting the computer in sleep mode. The professor is talking about something, probably homework, but Sting ignores him. He knows that he can't afford to get a bad grade, but the homework is simply 'practice', which Sting doesn't need to do at all. Grabbing his laptop case, he leaves the classroom in a rush. He throws the disgusting coffee in the trash, knowing that he's going to get a much better drink now.

"Excuse me?" a girly voice asks. He turns his head to look at a short blue-haired girl with a pencil behind her ear. "Are you in the computer programming class?"

"Yeah, I am," he replies, adjusting the beanie on his head. "What's up?"

"Do you think you could stay here for a moment so I can get an interview for my class report?" she continues, opening a tiny notebook, "I'm in journalism."

"Levy," a familiar voice says. "I'm afraid you're going to have to get someone else." She turns her head to reveal a dark-haired teen with glasses: Rogue. "I'm interviewing him at lunch today."

"Oh, sorry, Ryos," Levy smiles. "I'll find someone else." She closes the notebook. "Either that, or I'll just interview Gajeel on metalworking..." She waves cheerfully as she walks away, "See you in class tomorrow! Have a good interview~" She winks slightly, causing Rogue's cheeks to turn pink.

He turns back to Sting, rubbing the back of his neck. "Shall we?"

"This is just for an interview?" Sting frowns, disappointment filling his stomach. The two of them begin to walk through the hallways, Rogue holding a notebook and Sting with laptop case slung over his shoulder.

"No," Rogue turns to look at Sting, his red eyes smiling from behind his glasses. "It's just part of it. I simply needed to interview someone from another major, so I figured you'd work, since I've already set aside time for you."

"Wait, hold on," Sting looks at Rogue quizzically. "She called you Ryos?"  
A sigh escapes Rogue's parted lips. "She's dating my older brother, Gajeel. That's his nickname for me. See, when I was younger, I hated my name... So I went by the name of Ryos through elementary school. Once I reached middle school, I changed my name back. But my brother got so used to it that it just stuck. My parents call me Ryos too, except for when they're mad. Then they go all 'Rogue Cheney-Redfox' on me."

"Cheney-Redfox, huh?" Sting grins. "I like it. My last name's Eucliffe. Just Eucliffe. Super easy to remember."

"My parents wanted a joined name," sighs Rogue. "My mother's last name is Cheney, and my father's is Redfox."

"Gonna be confusing when you get married," Sting comments. Realizing how awkward that sounded, Sting quickly changes his mistake. "I-I mean, if you were to add your spouse's name onto yours for some reason."

Rogue rolls his eyes, not even fazed. He seemed strangely used to these kind of situations. Sting kind of understood where he was coming from, being queer himself. You did just kind of get used to things like this after a while.

"So, where is this deli exactly?" Sting asks quickly, trying to change the subject.

"I told you this morning, it's across the street from the Preforming Arts Building." Rogue's voice is surprisingly patient, even though Sting knows he's being annoying. "It's not far, I promise."

"Ya know, you're being really tolerant of me," Sting laughs. "People normally tell me to fuck off rather than keep the conversation up."

"Those people are morons, then," Rogue turns to look at Sting, his expression neutral. "They are missing out on such a bright personality."

Heat rises to Sting's cheeks, shocked at the compliment. "Th-Thanks," he stammers, not sure what else to say.

"I'm only telling you the truth," Rogue replies smoothly. Damn, Sting had no clue how this guy knew exactly what to say, but he did. And somehow he managed to it with barely any emotion in his dark, rich voice.

"U-Uh, well, I think you're pretty interesting too," Sting manages out. He cringes at how awkward it sounds. He hated his own voice with a passion, especially when it stuttered the way it just did.

Rogue chuckles, taking the compliment like a champion. "Thank you."

"Heh, ya welcome," Sting replies, trying to sound smooth and cool. He's pretty sure he failed miserably, but who knows. Honestly, he had no idea how he'd even had a love life up to this point if he was this bad at flirting and compliments.

The two of them walk towards the Preforming Arts Building, their shoulders brushing up against one another for a brief moment. Sting shivers, feeling electricity from their touch.  
Many students pass by them, including a redheaded girl holding hands with a boy with a tattoo on his right eye. After congratulating the boy for a good audition, she moves on to talking about how she got stage freight once again. The boy then suggests that she should simply work with the props and costumes, since she loves them so much.

For a moment, Sting longs to have a connection like that. The girl's face lights up so much, her brown eyes sparkling as she strikes a pose. The boy sweatdrops, but has a fond smile on his lips. Sting pushes away this sudden need for love, reminding himself that he's walking side by side with Rogue Cheney-Redfox, and needs to focus on that if he's getting anywhere in that department. After all, Sting had come to the quick obvious conclusion that he was crushing on Rogue. Seriously though, who wouldn't? He had this air of mystery that was alluring, as well as fitting the tall, dark, and handsome stereotype. Basically, he was perfection.

While Sting daydreams, Rogue moves to the crosswalk, pressing the button for them to cross. It instantly activates, and Rogue has to grab a startled Sting's hand and pull him across. "The lights move fast here!" he explains once they reach the other side.

Panting, Sting replies with, "Yeah, I can tell. Jeez." Realizing that their hands are still joined, his cheeks flush.

Rogue is unfazed, simply walking towards the deli not too far from where they stood. Sting follows behind him like a loyal puppy, being dragged by the journalist towards the entrance. Rogue pushes the glass doors open, a rush of cold air reaching Sting's skin. Together the duo steps inside the deli, enjoying the temperature drop. Approaching the counter, Sting scans the menu.

"Ooooh, Roast Beef Supreme," he grins. "Yes. Totally getting that."

"I prefer their BLTs," Rogue smiles. "They have excellent bacon here." He laughs slightly. "And to think that I had a vegetarian phase."

Sting chokes slightly. "You what?!"

Rogue laughs again good-naturedly. "Haha, yeah. I was a vegetarian in 7th grade. I got scared because I read an article about what meat can do to you, so I stopped eating it." Sting's mouth just hangs open, flabbergasted by this new information. Rogue continues on offhandedly. "Mind you, I was a gullible little 12 year-old."

Again Sting splutters. "12?!" he squeaks.

"I told you, I skipped a grade," Rogue sighs. "That grade was 5th."

"No wonder things were so hard for you," Sting says softly. "You were so much younger than everyone else..."

Rogue nods slowly. "Yes, I think that was big factor..." By this time they've reached the counter, the worker behind it waiting anxiously for them to order. "Sorry. We'll take a Roast Beef Supreme and a BLT with mayonnaise. We'll be sitting outside." He turns back to Sting. "C'mon. Let's go get a table."

Sting follows Rogue back outside, picking up the plastic number as he goes. They choose a seat by the street underneath a reddish umbrella with the flower box right beside them. It feels really serene, like a scene from a movie. Magnolia University is far away from most other civilization: the businesses here make a living simply off of the college students.

"So, the interview," Rogue smiles, pulling out his notebook.

"Oh yeah," Sting groans. "Nearly forgot..." He rests his chin on his hand, placing his elbow on the table. "Not really sure if I have much to share though... Today was the first day." He pauses for a moment, pondering something. "Hold on a sec. How come you said you had to work on project yesterday when school hadn't started yet?"

"Oh, I was taking summer classes," Rogue replies, pushing his bangs out his eyes. "It gives you a better chance of being hired, especially with the journalists in town."

"That makes sense," Sting says. "But summer school sounds shitty as hell... You must really like your teacher."

Rogue laughs suddenly, surprising Sting. "Oh no. He's not my favorite. He's actually quite annoying... He is kind of immature and says the word 'cool' too much. But he's a good mentor, none the less."

"Huh. Sounds like a wackjob," Sting replies with a grin.

Rogue chuckles. "Yes, he's strange."

"BLT with mayo and a Roast Beef?" The duo look up into the face of a white-haired girl with a kind smile. She sets down their plates in front of them, looking extremely joyful. "Oh, Rogue-sama, hello."

"Hello, Yukino," he smiles back at her. Turning to Sting, he introduces them. "Sting, this is Yukino. She's a good friend of mine who works here and is majoring in culinary arts. Yukino this is Sting, my...uh..." He stops suddenly, unsure of what to call him. His cheeks flush slightly and he averts his eyes. "Friend."

Sting feels slightly victorious that Rogue lost his cool for a moment, because that doesn't seem to be a common thing. Yukino giggles. "Oh, I see~" She winks at Sting cheerfully, then says, "Have a good meal, you two!"

Once she leaves, Sting digs into his sandwich. Rogue sighs, setting down the notebook. He looks like he's concentrating on something very intently.

"What's wrong?" Sting asks, swallowing a piece of bread.

"Oh, just thinking about the interview..." sighs Rogue, stirring his water with his straw. "Do you really not have anything to share?"

"I was ahead of pretty much the whole class," Sting comments. "So it was pretty boring and pointless."

Rogue has to hold back a smile, happy that his time with Sting is going to be less serious than he thought. "That's a bummer," he replies.

"Yeah, I wish that we could start with things that are more interesting," Sting pouts. He takes another sloppy bite from his sandwich, then chews slowly.  
For some reason, he and Rogue are suddenly staring into each other's eyes. Neither one of them wants to be the first to break eye contact. Sting's chewing gets slower and slower as the situation becomes more and more awkward.

He swallows almost nervously, still not breaking eye contact. He can feel heat rising to his cheeks, both embarrassed out of his mind and thinking 'oh my god Rogue looks so damn hot right now'. Across the table, Rogue's cheeks are also tainted pink. Sting can feel his eyes start to get moist from lack of blinking. He wants to blink so, so bad, but this strange awkward moment for some reason didn't want to be broken.

He moves his hand towards his water glass, but his eyes are still fixed on the dark-haired boy in front of him. Boy was that a mistake. Instantly water sloshes all over the table, drenching Sting's napkin and his pants. But worst of all, the water soaks clean through Rogue's leather notebook. Sting's blue eyes widen in shock and fear, finally blinking. Rogue's mouth drops open in surprise, watching as the water ruins his notebook. After a moment of being too stunned to move, he quickly jumps out of his seat, then snatches his notebook from the puddle and holds it to his chest.

Sting's the first to speak, blurting out, "OH MY FUCKING GOD I'M SO SORRY ROGUE!" He looks ready to die of shame and embarrassment, internally beating himself up for being such a klutz. He quickly begins to clean up the mess with any dry napkins he can find, trying to make any more eye contact.

"No, it's alright..." Rogue is obviously upset, even if he was trying to hide it, as that notebook had all of his notes from all summer long in it. Sting felt like shit. He couldn't believe all of the things he'd done in these past two days. He was just ruining everything. With a sick feeling in his stomach, he watches as Rogue slowly turns through the soaked pages. The pencil is smudged to the point of being illegible, while any pen is bleeding down and through the paper. "I'll live..." the Rogue says softly.

Sting bites down on his lip, drawing a tiny bit of blood. "Sorry, excuse me for a sec."

Still holding the now-wet napkins, Sting rushes to the restroom. After throwing them away, he collapses to the floor. "ARRUGH!" he screams, holding his head in his hands. "WHY AM I SO BAD AT THIS?!" He takes continuous deep breaths, desperately trying to calm himself down. His heart is pounding a mile a minute, slamming painfully against his ribcage. "Calm down, Sting," he mumbles to himself. "Everything's going to be fine... You just need to calm down..."

After what felt like ages, Sting fixes his beanie, then heads back out to the table. He finds Rogue sitting there with a worried expression on his face, staring at his half-eaten sandwich. Spotting Sting, he lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank god, I thought I scared you off."

"Nah," Sting waves a dismissive hand. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

To Sting's relief, Rogue chuckles at that. Sting notices the notebook is gone, but doesn't question it. For some reason, Sting just knows that it's in the trash. He isn't sure how it makes him feel, honestly. All he knew was that it was his fault.

The meal continues, but the atmosphere really wasn't the same. The conversation felt forced, and the whole time all Sting could think about was how badly he had fucked up. It really put a damper on the whole 'I'm out to lunch with a hot guy' thing. Sting finishes as quickly as he can, then stands up. He decides to lie, done with the awkwardness he had caused. "Uh, I just remembered that I have homework. I'm so sorry..." He shifts slightly, the lie making him feel guilty. Quickly he switches to telling the truth once more. "Uh... I had fun... So sorry about your notebook..."

Rogue sends him a small smile. "Sting, please don't worry about the notebook, alright? It's not that big of a deal. I know everything that was inside of it already. It's just a bunch of old notes that I bet could find online somewhere, and the notebook was barely $5. There's no need to be so broken-up over it."

"But I still ruined it..." Sting slumps his shoulders, pushing his hands into his pockets. "I destroyed something of yours..."

"It was an accident," Rogue sighs. "Please, Sting, I don't like it when you're upset... You're a much more attractive person when you smile." Instantly Sting's cheeks flare up. Realizing what he said, Rogue turns pink and stammers out, "H-Happiness is always a g-good thing, right?"

A tiny bit of hope in his chest, Sting nods. "Yeah." He slowly lets his grin spread back across his features, unable to hold it back because godamn was Rogue adorable when flustered.

"There's the smile I was talking about," Rogue touches Sting's shoulder gently. "Come on, now. Back to the dorms for you."

"Yeah," Sting repeats, too dazed to say much else. He lets Rogue drag him back to the 7th floor of the dorm building, then lets himself into his room. They exchange a quick goodbye, and then Sting proceeds to collapse on his bed and stare at the ceiling. It was time for brainstorming.

He needed a way to get $5.


	3. I Fail At Flirting

**This chapter reminded me of how much I effing love domestic-y Stingue fluff X'D**

 **Just so you know, I've never actually seen Titanic, I've only watched the scene where Rose almost jumps (simply for context XD) so if I got details wrong please tell me. I don't mind spoilers I honestly don't care I've so many for this movie XD (But please don't spoil other things for me X'D)**

* * *

"The square root of 36 is 6, so you multiply the variable by 3, then take the greatest common multiple of the denominator-"

"Kill me," Sting groans, slamming his forehead against the desk in front of him. Math is his nightmare. As a computer tech, he should be good at math, but his efforts were mostly to no avail. Everything was just so fuckin' confusing! How was anyone supposed to do this shit, and memorize it nonetheless?!

Sting sneaks a look at his cellphone, which light up as he presses the home button. He had email, 3 texts, and a missed call. The call was spam (someone with a Crocus area code). The first text was a wrong number. The second was from Yuka in his computer class asking if they had homework. Sting quickly texted back 'no', then checked his final message. To his compete and total elation, it was from Rogue.

 _'Are you free on Saturday? My friends Natsu and Gray are going to the city's baseball game and happened to have two extra tickets. I was going to bring my brother my brother but I'd rather bring you... Please get back to me ASAP...look forward to seeing you at some point. Hope your classes are going well today :)'_

Sting's heart swells, then skips in his chest. It would be a complete and total lie to deny that he was crushing on the dark-haired journalist. Shakily Sting texts back: _'do u always text in paragraphs? Aha of course I'm free I'd LOVE to go w/ u. ur friends sound coolio.'_

When the little bubble pops up that proves he's answering, Sting can feel sweat glazing his palms. Quickly he exits his Messages and goes into his email. His eyes widen in surprise. It was the China Palace staff (a restaurant he applied to work at). Did his application get accepted?

 _'Dear Mr. Sting Eucliffe,_  
 _We regretfully have to inform you that we do not have any jobs-'_

"Shit," Sting hisses under his breath, but keeps reading.

 _'-open for waiters. However, if you would be willing, we could use assistance in cleaning up afterhours (from about 10pm to 11pm). We will pay you $10 each night, as long as you are there the full hour. Otherwise we will only pay you $5. We understand that you are a university student, and therefore will be lenient on how many days a week you show up. Please try to come at least 3 nights a week, preferably one of those days being a Saturday. Please contact us with conformation as well as any questions you may have._  
 _Thank You,_  
 _China Palace Staff'_

"Guess I spoke too soon," Sting mutters. He sighs out loud. It wasn't what he'd been hoping for, but it was still something. But why Saturdays? Groaning, he quickly formulates a response.

 _'Thank you for considering my application. I can work in assisting the cleaners three days a week. I have a previous engagement that's rather important this upcoming Saturday, so maybe I could start next week? Thank you for your consideration, I really need this job..._  
 _Sting Eucliffe'_

Just as the email sends, Rogue's response appears at the top of the screen.

 _'Sting, I'm so pleased you can come, I was...'_ Sting clicks on the message to read the remainder of the response. _'...worried that you would have to turn me down because of some sort of work issue. And yes, my texts tend to be long-winded. Now put your phone away before you get caught, idiot.'_

Sting bites back an amused snort, quickly texting back, _'pfft put YOUR phone away too, ya bastard. Detention would suck ass :P seeya'_

 _'Goodbye, Sting :)'_

Sting slides his phone away, but his mind is still quite distracted. The rest of class fades into nothing, and all Sting think about is how Rogue will look with a baseball cap, and the way he will smile with excitement as their team makes a good play.

He could hardly wait.

* * *

Sting throws his bag down with an exhausted groan. At this point, all he wanted to do was curl up on the couch in the movie room and watch adventure movies. He was tired as fuck, and definitely not in the mood for homework.

After putting on his sweatpants and a blue t-shirt that read 'Sarcastic Comment: Loading' on it, he shuffles towards the TV room. To his annoyance, the door is closed, which means that it most likely is in use. Deciding that he might as well check, he shoves open the door with his right hand.

The large TV casts light on Sting's face, temporarily blinding him. Eventually the screen comes into focus. A young man is sitting on a dock, gazing out at the ocean. The scene takes place at sunset. In his hand is a small shell. He begins to sing softly with no background music. Sting manages to pick up faint sobs coming from the couch. The song is about losing the light you treasured, or something along those lines. In other words, hella depressing.

Sting is silent, not wanting to be rude to whoever is watching the movie and interrupt such a heart-wrenching scene. Of course, it wasn't sad to Sting, as he had no idea what was happening, but the quiet sobbing coming from the couch was a large enough indicator. Either that, or they were a wimp.

The credits suddenly roll, the man's voice vanishing as an instrumental takes over. Sting clears his throat, as his philosophy was once the credits start the movie is over. The person on the couch whirls their head around, eyes wide. Their dark hair is a rumpled mess, their glasses are perched precariously on the end of their nose, and the baggy black shirt they wore is slipping off one shoulder. "Sting?"

"Rogue?" Sting frowns, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. Rogue hastily clears a spot for Sting to sit, moving the popcorn bowl to his lap and brushing the candy wrappers to the floor.

"Sorry," he apologizes. "I had no homework tonight so I figured I'd take a lazy evening."

"Oh jeez, no need to apologize," Sting snorts as he sits down next to him on the couch. Rogue looks so comfy, a gray blanket covering him from the waist down. He takes off his glasses to swipe furiously at his eyes, then places them back on his nose.

Sting's eyes can't help but to wander to Rogue's exposed shoulder. His smooth skin looked pale in the dim light of the TV, like porcelain. Sting wanted nothing more than to brush his fingers against that exposed skin, comforting the darker haired boy out of crying. He pushes those thoughts out of his mind, because honestly, he wasn't 100% sure of Rogue's sexuality. Sure, he'd mentioned he was in the spectrum, but hadn't said where. And Sting wasn't one to push boundaries with people, especially if he didn't know them that well. It was honestly hard for him to believe they'd met only recently.

Sting clears his throat, trying to break the sudden tense silence that had come between them. "Uh, so, what were you watching?"

"Oh, just...a movie..." Rogue flushes, looking away from Sting's face.

Sting smirks, adding an extra inquisitive tone to his next question, "Is it a pervy movie?"

"Oh god, no!" Rogue exclaims, turning even redder. "It's just...it was a depressing romance movie, okay? A chick flick!" He tries to hide behind his bangs, cheeks still furiously red.

'Fuck...he looks so cute...' Sting thinks, realizing that Rogue is rarely ever shy. "What's that to be embarrassed about? Guys may lie and say they hate chick flicks, but to be honest, most guys love them just as much as girls do. At least, most of the guys I know."

Rogue laughs softly. "Yeah... I was just worried... I don't know...that'd you think I was weird..."

Sting quickly shakes his head, "N-No, I don't think you're weird at all, you're really cu- uh, cool!" Sting mentally slaps himself. He is such a wreck around people he crushes on, and he knows it.

Rogue laughs again. "Thank you, Sting." He pauses, reaching for his Dr. Pepper. After talking a long swig, he continues. "I was going to marathon a few others...would you be willing to watch them with me?"

"Sure," Sting replies, trying to not to show his excitement. Rogue shifts, as if he's about to stand up when Sting places a hand on his knee. "I got it. You look really comfortable, I don't want to force you to move."

Rogue's red eyes widen slightly in surprise. "Oh." His cheeks turn pink again. "Thank you."

As Sting moves towards the stack of movies sitting by the TV, he can't help but to wonder how Rogue can keep his cool so easily in situations like these. Does he not feel any attraction to Sting? Sting holds back a sigh. He hates crushing on people. They never seem to return his feelings. But maybe he was overthinking it... "Uh, what movie did you want to watch next? I'm assuming you rented these?"

"Oh, I was thinking Titanic next," Rogue replies, sipping his Dr. Pepper again.

"Titanic it is." Sting slides the movie into the DVD player, then hops back onto the couch. "Just curious, do you have Netflix?"

"I don't," Rogue sounds a little sad. "I don't have the money for it... I barely have money for my cellphone bill. My job pays, but not well enough." He sighs to himself as Sting makes himself comfortable. "I work at the rental place anyways, so I get to either take them for free or get discounts."

Sting nods, pulling his feet up as the movie starts. They sit in silence for a while, watching the action on the screen.

Sting frowns as Rose runs across the deck, picking up her skirts and sobbing uncontrollably. She passes Jack, heading towards the railing. Sting's eyes widen. He can feel Rogue stiffen beside him, suddenly tense.

"I can't watch," Sting manages out, turning away. He'd always been uncomfortable with things like this. Sure, he'd had mild depression for some time, but never to the point of suicidal. Things like this made him uncomfortable. He can feel Rogue suddenly clinging onto his arm, shaking slightly. Sting looks over at him, noticing that the other boy's face was dangerously pale. "Rogue?"

"I'm fine," Rogue replies quietly. "I just...don't like this kind of stuff..."

"Me either," Sting admits. He breathes a sigh of relief as Jack starts talking to Rose, coaxing her down from the railing. When she trips, Rogue makes a strangled sound from beside him and buries his face into the dark blue sleeve of Sting's shirt. Sting's breathing is uneasy, but his eyes are fixed on the screen.

The scene passes, and Sting ends up throwing popcorn at the TV when the men assume Jack assaulted Rose. Rogue is still trembling from beside him, but he calms down within a few minutes. Sting feels bad for him, but at the same time, he silently celebrates the fact that Rogue is now sitting like five times closer to him.

They watch the rest of the movie in silence, ending with them sobbing uncontrollably over the ending. Sting feels like a wimp, but Rogue is crying just as hard as he is, so it makes him feel a bit better.

After wiping their streaming eyes, the duo sits in silence on the couch as the credits roll. "I think I've had enough crying for the night," Rogue laughs shakily, breaking the silence.  
Sting desperately wants to pull him into his arms and hold him close, whispering soothing words into his ear and running his fingers through Rogue's dark hair. He wants to kiss Rogue's forehead, hold his hand, wipe away those tears...

Suddenly realizing how stupid it is to think like this about someone you just met, Sting shoves the thoughts out of his head. Denying his love was impossible, but that didn't mean he had to keep thinking about it. No, he needed to keep his feelings hidden until he was sure of how Rogue felt. Just because he blushes around Sting sometimes doesn't mean he's in love...

"Uh, Sting?"

Sting's head snaps up. "H-Huh?! What?!"

"I asked you a question..." Rogue trails off awkwardly.

"O-Oh-!" Sting's cheeks flush red. "Y-Yeah, uh...can you repeat that?!"

Rogue sighs, and to Sting's relief, a small, fond smile spreads across his lips. "I asked you if you'd like to watch something else or go to bed."

"Do you have any board or card games?" The question slips out of Sting's mouth before he can stop it, and he's not sure whether or not he regrets it.

Rogue's eyes widen a tiny bit, then relax. "Yeah, I have some back in my room. Shall we clean up and head over there?"

"Can I go get some socks?" Sting asks. "My feet are cold..." He wiggles his bare toes for emphasis, then realizes how awkward that must seem. His already crimson cheeks burn even redder as he stammers out, "Y-Yeah, I'll just go get some." He grabs some of the trash left behind, not wanting to be rude, and quickly rushes to his room.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Sting hisses. "Jeez," he mumbles as he pulls on a pair of fuzzy rainbow socks, "these pep-talks to myself have been becoming more frequent...I'm going crazy...godammit Rogue, look what you're doing to me...!"

He stands there, breathing heavily as he tries to calm his racing heart. "I'm getting déjà vu from the lunch we had...I ran away then too, didn't I...?" Sting bangs his head against the wall. "Fuuuuuck. He probably knows...he knows."

Just then, a loud knock sounds on his door. Sting shuffles to the door and opens it, revealing some grumpy looking guy with a scar across his eye, spiky hair, and purple eyes. "Oi. Shut the hell up. Some people in this shithole are actually trying to sleep."

"S-Sorry," Sting stammers.

The other man sneers. "Whatever." He then promptly slams Sting's door in his face. Sting can hear him stalking off to his room, which is either 708 or 706. Sting breathes a sigh of relief. That guy was scary. Sting hesitantly opens the door, then slowly makes his way to Rogue's dorm room. He knocks on the door, his hand shaking. The door opens almost instantly, revealing Rogue in the same outfit as before, just with a scarf now.

"I was cold," he chuckles. "Come in, I've picked out a few games."

"Thanks," Sting grins, entering and shutting the door behind him.

They end up sprawled on the floor, Dr. Pepper, chips, and pizza that they had delivered to their room strewn about the floor. Sting discovered that Rogue is bomb at Scrabble, but is no match for Sting in Uno. They also played a round of Poker, using Starburst as betting chips. It got extremely competitive, and ended with the two of them laughing on the floor amongst the trash until tears came into their eyes.

Wheezing slightly, Rogue notices Sting's socks. "Nice socks."

Sting grins. "Thanks. Gay pride and all. That, and they're super comfy."

"All for gay pride," Rogue chuckles, and Sting's heart skips a beat.

"Y-Yeah, well, gotta flaunt it," Sting laughs nervously, then quickly shoves a piece of pizza into his mouth. He is such a mess and he knows it.

Rogue chuckles again, moving his hands behind his head. Sting has his left arm behind his own hand, his right arm outstretched to hold the slice of pizza in front of him. The moonlight streams through Rogue's dorm window, casting white light on the two of them. Sting felt so at ease and just so fantastically...gay. To him, it felt like the first time in his life he was thankful for his sexuality. Because this moment to him was everything. To others, it would seem like some ordinary, domestic thing, but Sting hadn't felt this relaxed and happy in years.

"Rogue?" he says softly.

"Hmm?"

Sting sweats slightly, mentally working himself up over something that wasn't even that important. "Uh...I just wanted you to know I had a lot of fun hanging out with you...we should do this more often."

He turns his head to the side to look at Rogue, finding that the darker haired boy had done the same. One of Rogue's hands was now free, hanging loose by his hip. He smiles at Sting, red eyes sparkling as he replies gently, "I'd love to."

Sting's heart is pounding. All he wants to do is lean over and kiss those lips painted by the soft moonlight, just a simple brush of his own lips against Rogue's. He shoves back his nearly overwhelming temptations, instead cramming the last bite of pizza into his mouth. His now free hand lies limp on the floor, his fingertips brushing against a candy wrapper. Slowly, hoping that Rogue wouldn't freak out, Sting begins to slide that hand across the floor towards Rogue's free hand. Almost...there...

 _ **BANG!**_

The door suddenly slams open, causing Sting to sit bolt upright as if he'd been shot. Rogue sighs, seemingly used to this behavior.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS METAL HEAD DAMMIT I'M SO SICK OF HIM BASHING GRAY AND LUCY WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL WHERE IS THE BASTARD?!"

Sting swallows nervously, but Rogue simply groans. "Natsu, for the last time, my brother is not here. This is the third time in the past two days you've stormed in here. Can you please leave me alone?" He then lowers his voice to mutter to Sting, "My friend Natsu has a bit of a rivalry with my brother..."

Natsu's voice seems to only get closer. "Sorry, what was that, I didn't hear the last pa-" A pink-haired boy stands above Sting, dressed in a red t-shirt that read "Spicy" in flaming letters, a loose pair of black basketball shorts, and white socks. "Oh!" he exclaims when he sees Sting. Sting's face flushes, quickly looking away from the stranger.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sting sees Natsu smirk. "Oh~ I see~ Is this why you don't want me around, Rogue~?"

Rogue's face turns crimson. "It's just Sting, Natsu! You know, the new guy I've been telling you about?!"

"Oh, so you're the new kid?" Natsu's grin widens as he leans down and steals a piece of pizza from the box. He takes a huge bite, and then continues to talk with an extremely full mouth, "Coolio, you seem alright."

"Oi, that was mine!" Sting exclaims, looking at the piece of pizza.

"Forget it, Sting," Rogue sighs. "He always does this. He's a mooch."

"You got that right," Natsu mumbles through layers of cheese and dough. After swallowing, he says, "So, Sting, does Rogue know what to do with his mouth?"

Sting chokes on his spit.

"GET OUT NOW!" Rogue shouts, face crimson as he stands up to steer Natsu from his room.

"I WAS JUST ASKIN' AN INNOCENT QUESTION!" Natsu yells back as Rogue shoves him out of the room. On the way out, he snatches one more piece of pizza.

"INNOCENT MY ASS!" Rogue counters, finally pushing him out the door. "Now go away! Go find Gray or something!" With that, he slams the door in Natsu's face.

Barely audible, Natsu's muffled voice mumbles on the other side of the door, "Have fun..."

"Pervert," Sting hears Rogue hiss, watching as the dark-haired boy tries to calm his raging blush. "Sorry," he laughs nervously, looking at Sting. "He tends to do that a lot...he just gets overly excited about everything...and he's kinda an idiot."

"I-It's fine," Sting stammers, trying to hide his face behind the last slice of pizza. It isn't working very well.

Rogue swallows nervously. "Uh...maybe you should go back to your room... Just so people don't get the wrong idea..."

Sting's heart sinks. Did Rogue really not see him in a romantic light at all? His stomach rises to his throat, but he shoves the burning sensation down. "Yeah..." he says softly, trying not to show his disappointment. "Uh...see you..."

"Bye," Rogue mumbles, shifting his face so his bangs cover his eyes.

Feeling both humiliated and heartbroken, Sting stumbles back into his room and collapses into bed. There, he stares at the ceiling above him, his mind full of things he wished he could've said or done...

If only Natsu had stepped in a few moments later.


End file.
